Invasion of the Ranger Snatchers
Invasion of the Ranger Snatchers is the ninth episode of Power Rangers Zeo. Synopsis Rocky is star-struck when he, Katherine, and Tanya become extras in a sci-fi film shooting in Angel Grove. The movie-making bug also bites Prince Sprocket, but he decides that what he really wants to do is direct - direct the end of the Power Rangers, that is! Plot While Tommy and Adam are testing out a new workout algorithm devised by Billy, the girls, and Rocky have landed roles as extras on the set of a science-fiction movie featuring Biff Starr. While the girls are excited, Rocky is unimpressed and boasts that he can do better than Biff since acting is easier than it looks. Bulk and Skull are also on set as added security, and their first order of business is to "patrol" the craft table and all its food. Elsewhere, Prince Sprocket is planning to break into the movie business with his debut film, "Invasion of the Ranger Snatchers". With help from Klank, Orbus and their Video Vulture, Sprocket intends to have the Zeo Rangers give the final performance of their lives. For his first order as Director, Sprocket orders the Cogs to take the monster costumes from the set. As Rocky still derisively claims that he's a much better actor, he is approached by a stagehand and is offered to fill in for Biff's sidekick on set after the sidekick quit. Rocky sees this as his big break and takes the role. While he is put into costume and given his lines, the stagehand arrives with a pair of Cogs (having mistaken them for extras). When the take begins, Biff attacks the Cogs and is predictably overpowered until Rocky sends them to the ground. The rest of the Cogs suddenly run off the set with the monster costumes, and Rocky calls the girls as he gives chase, only to get ambushed by a large mob of the robo-mooks. After calling for Adam and Tommy to join them, the Rangers morph and engage the Cogs in battle. The Video Vulture suddenly swoops in and teleports the Rangers to a surreal waiting room covered in a force-field. As they try to escape to no avail, Klank taunts the Rangers and announces that their fates are under Sprocket's complete creative control. While Billy tries to contact the Rangers from the Power Chamber, Klank orders Tanya and Tommy to report to the set. Once they arrive, the first of Sprocket's stolen monster costumes, Leaky Faucet, comes to life and attacks them. Meanwhile, Billy manages to reach the other Rangers and offer help on how to escape the film. He tells them that if they can force a "happy ending" onto Sprocket's script (something that the Machine Prince obviously doesn't want), they can escape back to reality. The Rangers meet up again on set and catch video footage of a runaway bus. Deciding that saving it would be a fitting happy ending, they find a hidden passage to its location and come out chasing the bus on horseback. After getting the passengers out in time, the Rangers are warped back to reality. Sprocket is disappointed at his ruined film until Klank arrives with a new script idea. Suddenly, the living monster costumes appear and turn into a single monster -- Bucket of Bolts. Klank then adds his own special effects by throwing Orbus onto the monster and making it grow, but it proves no match for the Zeo Megazord and is destroyed. With Sprocket's movie career finished as fast as it began, Rocky heads back to the movie set to continue his. As it turns out, his career is also done as the director found a new replacement for him... Skull! Cast *Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver (Zeo Ranger V Red) *Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam Park (Zeo Ranger IV Green) *Steve Cardenas as Rocky DeSantos (Zeo Ranger III Blue) *Nakia Burrise as Tanya Sloan (Zeo Ranger II Yellow) *Catherine Sutherland as Katherine "Kat" Hillard (Zeo Ranger I Pink) *David Yost as Billy Cranston *Paul Schrier as Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier *Jason Narvy as Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch *Gregg Bullock as Detective Jerome Stone *Richard Genelle as Ernie *Barbara Goodson as Prince Sprocket (voice) and Orbus (voice) *Oliver Page as Klank (voice) *??? as Pumpkin Sorcerer *??? as Traffic Kitty *??? as Steambot *Ezra Weisz as Leaky Faucet *Richard Epcar as Bucket of Bolts Errors *Despite Bulk and Skull having encountered Cogs and been terrified of them previously, they have apparently either forgotten or don't care and assume they are actors in costumes here. Even though they actually are actors in costumes, but not when the editing process started. Notes *This is the first episode of Power Rangers to be adapted from a Sentai Movie that wasn't a team up, namely Chouriki Sentai Ohranger the Movie. This would not happen again until Samurai's Clash of the Red Rangers - The Movie. *This episode marks the first time that the Power Rangers morph onscreen without the morphing sequence. "Running morphs" will become more common in the later seasons. *The basic plot of this episode would be used again in Time Force's "Movie Madness". *This episode's title is a reference to " ". *As seen in the reused footage from Ohranger the Movie, Sprocket's movie production company is named "Buldont Studios", Buldont being the name of his counterpart from Ohranger. Song *Enemies Beware See Also (fight footage & story) Category:Zeo Category:Episode Category:Movie Adaptations